Re: Re: Why MS Won't Retire Browsers -- was: Interntet Explorer 8 beater 2

Ashley Sheridan schreef:

On Sun, 2008-09-14 at 17:27 +0200, Jochem Maas wrote:

Boyd, Todd M. schreef:

-----Original Message-----

... ...

I'm not a big fan of Windows in any of it's incarnations, but I think it is a little unfair to compare it to the Mac OS and say that Microshaft (as I will now refer to them) has had more time and comes out with something not as good. Admittedly, I do think this is the case, but you have to take into consideration the main advantage Apple has: it only has to write an OS for a very limited set of hardware it controls. A typical PC usually comprises of dozens of dozens of bits of kit, and there are literally infinite hardware configurations a user can have.

let's be clear neither company *has* to do anything, it's their choice, it therefore seems that Apple is smarter in that it bite's off pretty much what it can chew. given the pretty much total control M$ has over distribution channels it wouldn't be that hard for them to 'convince' harware manufacturers to standardize to a limited set of approved hardware elements if that's what they really wanted.

I'm a big fan of Linux, but I think partly that's because I know what I'm doing. Sure, I run into troubles, but that's because I can't leave alone and keep tinkering! As an OS, it's very stable, and very fast. Just today I was playing WoW and had the Windows computer crash on me, despite it only running the game and an antivirus!

so the GNU/Linux kernel is comparitively stable and very fast, blows windows kernel right out of the water ... and linux OSes generally run on pretty much anything windows will run on (and more besides) ... which kind of puts the 'M$ has to support infinite hardware configurations' argument into perspective. obviously linux isn't developed on thin air and recieves plenty of corporate sponsorship (hello IBM :-)) but it's chump change compared to what M$ pump into their OS development.

Also, to say that the number of Linux distros out is just counter-productive to the Linux cause, well, the point is it's all about choice. The average Joe in the street only knows (and only really needs to know) about 2 or 3 if that. Compare this with the various "distros" of Vista that the man-in-the-shop will try to sell you (there's 4 altogether I believe) and the picture doesn't seem to to be so straight laced. The best part about having so many distros is that the people who know what they're doing have the choice, because frankly there is no way on earth anyone is going to give Debian to a Linux newbie, and if they do they should be taken out and shot!

having the choice of 100 different makes of toothpaste is not choice so much as manufactured consent. the concept of choice is taken to be some absolute good, if it is then why do the vast majority people keep buying M$? why are there only *2* political parties in the US (are you telling me they really cover all the various views/opinions/beliefs/whatever of all the people that live there)? the important thing about choice is giving people the appearance of choice when there is [usually] no choice at all. I'm not advocating one size fits all, merely suggesting that the choice one makes should be dictated by requirement and not through the vain efforts of some marketing department. I mean what's the practical difference between SuSE and Ubuntu once you strip all the corporate bling? offering a number of items that do exactly the same as being different merely sells into people's mistaken belief that they are free because they have 'choice'.

When you think about it though at the end of the day, despite the sheer amount of hardware there is out there, Linux still managed to give Windows a run for it's money, despite most of the time and code being donated to the cause. That might be part of the reason though, everyone spends their time trying to make things work together, rather than the Microshaft way of trying to stop things working in order to force users to switch to their own products. This isn't just an opinion, it's a well documented marketing strategy they've used for years.

indeed, give someone enough money and greed generally sets in with all the inherent ramifications.

Anyway, that's just my 2p ;)

which is what your left with after paying all the bills, dang the UK is way too expensive :-)

Ash www.ashleysheridan.co.uk